Starting block

Holden has suffered a minor embarrassment with its new mega-muscle V8 models - some might not start. By JOSHUA DOWLING.

01 August 1999

Holden is trying to track down more than 1,000 new Commodore and Statesman V8s to replace potentially faulty automatic transmission computers that can prevent the car from starting.

More than 100 Statesmans and almost 900 Commodores are potentially affected. Most are in dealer's hands but 213 cars have already been delivered to customers. Only those vehicles equipped with the powerful new Chevrolet V8 engine are involved.

Holden now has the laborious task of tracing the vehicles through its network of 324 dealers and getting the faulty units replaced. Dealers have also been requested to contact customers to have their cars repaired.

A Holden bulletin issued to dealers last week, obtained by The Sun-Herald, said: "Affected vehicles that have been [delivered to customers] must be reworked as soon as possible to avoid the potential no start condition from occuring.

"Dealerships are requested to immediately contact all customers with affected vehicles to arrange a mutually convenient booking time to have the PIM (Powertrain Interface Module) replaced."

According to the bulletin, the car may not start after the vehicle has been parked for some time but the problem will not cause the car to stall once started.

Repairs should take about half-an-hour but dealers in metropolitan areas have been advised to tell customers to allow two days for delivery of the replacement part. Dealers in rural areas must allow three days for delivery.

The part involved is supplied to Holden by Melbourne-based Australian Arrow Pty Ltd. It is suspected that a problem during the manufacturing process may cause the computers to malfunction.

The Powertrain Interface Module is the part of the automatic transmission's computer which "talks" to the car's main engine computer. When the two don't communicate, the car won't start.

Although most cars will be repaired before they are delivered to customers, the problem takes some of the gloss from the arrival of the 5.7-litre Chevrolet V8 engine - even though it is no fault of the engine.

It is the same engine which powers the Corvette in the US and, in Australia, has a claimed power output of 220kW - a whopping 18 per cent increase on the old Holden-made 5.0-litre V8. It also significantly overshadows the power output of arch-rival Ford's V8.

The engine, badged Gen III by Holden because it is the third generation of the Chevrolet 5.7-litre V8, is so powerful Holden engineers were forced to muzzle it to 220kW (from the original 248kW) to improve reliability in local conditions and cope with Australia's lower grade fuel.

Despite the engine's high power output, electronic traction control, which prevents wheelspin in slippery conditions, is still an option on the most affordable models. It is a standard safety feature only on the Acclaim, Calais and SS - if equipped with an automatic transmission.

Despite the increase in size and power, the Chevrolet engine is lighter and more fuel efficient than the locally-made Holden 5.0-litre V8 it replaces.

It is also quieter and more refined but some enthusiast motoring magazines have expressed concern that the engine lacks the raunchy sound of the Australian-made V8.

Holden claims demand is so strong for cars equipped with the Chevrolet V8 that only those with automatic transmission are being built. Production of cars with the six-speed manual transmission (also from the Corvette) will start later in the year.

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The size of your tyre is located on the sidewall of your tyre.It will be similar to the sample below.